Zamfara incitement: Prof. Soyinka wants ex-gov, deputy prosecuted

From EBEN ENASCO KINGSLEY, Benin City

NOBEL Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has demanded the prosecution of former governor of Zamfara State, Ahmed Yerima and his deputy, Mahmuda Aliyu Shinkarfi over alleged inciting comments, resulting in the death of a teenager and other students.

He also challenged relevant institutions of government to investigate and prosecute the suspected religious fanatics responsible for the recent murder of eight students of Abdul Guzau College in Zamfara under the guise of blasphemy for vicarious liability.

Soyinka made this known at the University of Benin 2nd eminent lecture series entitled: “culture at risk”, wondered why the former leaders of Zamfara state have not been called for questioning in connection with the act which he claimed was widely condemned by the Nigeria supreme Council for Islamic Affairs.

“Those behind the alleged murder of eight people are alive. Those people killed were not even around the original scenario. I call them stupid and disgrace to their school, Abdul Guzau College ethnic school.

He said the sloppiness of installations of government to act fast against acts of impunity in the past accounted for the rise of deadly religious sects such as Boko Haram,

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“Earlier I made mention of Zamfara with a special implicit. There are no real names. On the 26th November 2002, the deputy governor of Zamfara state, Mahmuda Aliyu Shinkarfi announced, made a proclamation regarding a Citizen of this nation, one Miss Isioma Daniel who had served at a beauty contest.

“He (Shinkarfi) was said to have said if it was when Prophet Muhammad were alive, he (Prophet Muhammed) would have picked one of the Contestants as a wife.

“Now, for that alleged crime, I repeat which I considered by the way, a compliment. The ecstatic existence of any judgment of any Prophet in the world, She was sentenced to death. This deputy governor said it is abiding on all Muslims wherever they are to consider the killing of that fragile girl as a religious duty.

“Now, let us also emphasize the fact that the supreme Islamic Council rejected this so called practice. But what about the followers who heard only the words of that deputy governor? Are they perhaps the ones who recently killed fellow beings because of an alleged blasphemy? Up till this moment, we haven’t heard what was said…In my view it is that toxin injected into the social consciousness of the followers of that religion which resulted in the murder of a Citizen.